Venice residents sleep outside overnight to support the homeless

Some residents in Venice slept outside overnight to make a statement about homelessness in Los Angeles.

About 15 to 20 of them spent the night on the lawn in front of the former Venice City Hall. Organizers say 150 people came out in support Saturday night.

The event was aimed at highlighting the plight of the homeless and making a call for action from the government.

"There's no place in the city of Los Angeles where a homeless person can sleep legally. This is wrong. We came out to advocate for solutions to the homeless. More housing, more transitional housing, more shelters," said Steve Clare of the Venice Community Housing Corporation.

Organizers point out that the latest census showed there are more than 51,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County. Nearly half of them live in the city of Los Angeles.